Resilient unit for car trucks



July 7, i931. G. Q. I Ewrs RESILIENT UNIT FOR CAR TRUCKS Filed Oct. 25I1926 5 ters,

springs,

Patented July 7, 19.31

i :fgao TABS PATENT OFFICE GrOODlitICH Q. LEW'IS. OF WHEATON, ILLINOIS,ASSIGNOB TO W. H. INC., OF

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF :DELAWAREk BESILIENT UNIT FOR GARTRUCKS Application led October 23, 1926-. Serial No. 143,560.

This invention relates to resilient units for car trucks.

In railway truck construction it is almost the universal practice .toutilize spring cluscomprising a plurality of coiled for dispositionbetween the ends of the truck bolster, and the spring l rests of theside frames of railway trucks,

retains its resiliency practically indefinitely, l v z and is notsubject to the deterioration which B herelnafter described, and be heldunder would occur if the same were permitted reto absorb and cushion theshocks between the 4car bodies and the trucks. clusters, whilereasonably eiiicient, have several objectionable features, among whichmay be mentioned the expense of manufacture and installation, therelatively large size of the individual units to provide the requiredresistance, which interferes with the disposition of `an adequate numberof such 'units in the .limited space available upon a truck; and underservice conditions, the spring units, are subject to relatively rapiddeterioration in efficiency due to weakening and breakage induced byoverloading and exposure to the weather.`

An object of my invention is toy providev cushioning means 'adapted tobe substituted for the spring cluster, by the use of which theobjectionable features above -referred to are largely eliminated saidcushioning means being made up o a single protecte unit which isrelatively inexpensive to manufacture and has great elliciency and longlife inservice.

A more specific object of the invention' is to provide a mass of liverubber, in conjunction with means for enclosing the same in such amanner as to maintainthe rubber under initial compression in falldirections, thereby utilizing an important inherent property of rubberwhich,wl`1en held-constantly under some' degree of compression,

peatedly to reach its limit of expansion, or subjected to pounding andchang from the parts with which itis associated, and in addition itserves to preventv rattling land vibration between such of the containerenclosing the same. The container for the rubber is especially de-Spring A parts and the parts' signed for efiicient use in .connectionwith rallway trucks, and comprises elements which permit yielding andlimited expanl rubber being at all times lheld under initialcompression.

Other and further objects of the invention will more fully and clearlyappear from the description and claims hereinafter following.. l

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a railway truck,showing my invention in connection therewith, and Figure 2 a partialsectional, artial elevational view of the truck side rame, and afragment .of the bolster, substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 1. .nReferring to the drawings, 10 and 11 deslgnate the top and bottom archmembers of a common type of truck, while 12-12 denotes the bolster guidecolumns," 13 a spring plank platform, 14 the spring plank, and 15 atruck-bolster. In this connection, although only one side of the Vtruckis illustrated in the drawings, it will be understood, of course, thatboth sides of the truck are of similar construction, and that myinvention contemplates the use of the novel resilient truck unit inconnection with both side frames of the truck.

The resilient truck unit contemplated 'by my invention, broadlycomprises a section of `live rubber A, or any other resilient materialor composition having properties similar to live rubber, in conjunctionwith a container B which is arranged to maintain the mass of rubberunder initial compression.

The block A of 4live rubber is of such shape and size as to fill theinterior of the container initial compression thereby in all-directions,

block, and is for the purpose of permitting flow of the'rubber when thesame is compressedV to a degree beyond the initial compression thereon,

. The container B includes an elongated,

boxlike receptacle 16, of a length which may' be disposed between theguide columns 12, said receptacle including a bottom wall 17, sidewalls-18, and end walls 19, the side walls 18 being provided withexterior longitudinally extending flanges 20,' as shown, such iangesbeing'preferably disposed approximately midway between the top andbottom of the receptacle, and preferably 'being formed integrallytherewith. The live rubber block or `section A, in its original state,is of considerably larger volume than the receptacle 16, and isforcedinto such receptacle under pressure. 1

A cap, or cover 21 is provided, which has aslidable telescopic lit withthe receptacle 16, the cover being provided with longitudinallyextendingflanges` 22 corresponding with the flanges 20f upon the receptacle 16.Bolts 23 are extended through the flanges 20 and 22, suchibolts havingnuts threaded thereon so that the cover 21\ and the receptacle 16 may bedrawn toward 'each other, to compress the rubber section A to such anextent that the rubber is placed under initial compression, `and in thepreferred construction, under compression `greater than that which wouldoccur due-to the imposition of the dead weight of the car lon thebolster 15 when the resilient unit is in use. The bolts 23,are arrangedto permit sliding movement of the cover 21 with respect to thereceptacle 16, so that the unit is rendered res'ilient to absorb shocks,the downward movement of the cover being limited by the engagement ofthe top edges of the receptacle with the underJ surface of the cover,and the expansion of the rubber being limited by the engagement of 'thebolt` heads and the nuts-with the outer sides of .v the flanges 20.and22 on the cover and receptacle.`

In actual use the resilient unit thus composed'is placed upon the springplank 14 at the portion thereof where the same rests upon the springplatform, in such position as to support the end .of the bolster 15, andin this connection it may be noted that any suitable means, not shown,may be'provided for retaining the resilient unit in nposition vupon thetruck platform.

In operation, upon a downward movement of the Vend of the truck bolster15,l the rubber section A is compressed vertically as permitted by thesliding action between the cap 2] and-the' receptacle 16 suchcompression being limited to a vertical plane inasmuch as the sides andends of the receptacle 16' prevent outward expansion ofthe rubber,thereby powerfully yieldably resisting'the downward movement of thebolster to provide a resilient cushion therefor.V When the` pressurecausing additional vweightJ 'upon the bolster is relieved, the rubberelement A expands, but complete expansionof the rubber element isprevented by reason 'of the limited movement of the cap, relative to thereceptacle as permitted by the retaining bolts, so that the rubberelement is constantly held under initial com ression.

By this arrangement the e ective resiliency of the rubber element isgreatly increased, and due to the fact that the rubber is constantlyheld under compression in all directions, it is protected from abrasion,laceration and excessive displacement in any direction due to poundingbetween theparts, as well as preventing undesirable vibration.

While I have herein shown and described whatI now consider the preferredmanner of carrying out my invention, the same is merely illustrative,and I contemplate all changes andmodications that come within the scopeof the claims appended hereto.

.. I claim: F v

1. In a railway car including a truck provided 'with a bolsterrelatively moveable with respect to the truckproper and Supporting thecar body, the combination means interposedbetween the supporting elementand bolster, said cushioning means including a mass of live rubber and atelescopic receptacle enclosing said mass, the walls of said receptacleclosely fitting the mass of rubber and said mass being provided with anopening to permit iow of the rubber mass durmg compression; and meansconnecting the sections of said telescopic` receptacle limiti/ngseparation of the parts thereof to an extent to constantly hold saidrubber mass in partially contractedondition and-` maintain the sameunder a predetermined initial compression.

2. In arailway car, including a truck ,provided with a bolster guidedfor vertical movement, said bolster supporting the car body, thecombination with fixed abutment means on the truck proper; of cushioningmeans interposed between said abutment means and the bolster andyieldingly resisting relative approach of the bolster and said abutment,said cushioning means including a live rubber block having al centralopening to allow deformation and flow of the mass of said block, and atwo-part receptacle enclosing said rubber block,the parts of saidreceptacle being of cup-shaped and tele- ,scoped with each other, withthe walls thereof closely embracing the rubber block, said cup-shapedparts being movable relativel toward and away `from eachother; and ad5fjustable means for limiting relative separation of said parts, holdingthe same assembled and maintaining the rubber-bloei: in`

contracted compresslon the car.

onditionv and under an initial l reater than the dead weight of '3. In arailwa car, including a truck provided with a. olster relatively movablevertically with respect to the truck proper and supporting the car bodythe combination with 'afixed support onl the truck proper; of atelescopic casing interposed between said bolster and fixed support,said casin including upper and lower sections, eac having continuousside walls and said upper section -having a top wall and being o n atthe bottom, and said -lower section aving 4a bottom wall and being openat the to end and having said open end telescope with the othercasineach of said sections havin laterally proJecting abutment members tereon at opposite sldes thereof, said abutment, members of one of saidsections beingenormally spaced from the abutment mem rs on the othersection; a rubber block filling said casing, thereby yieldinglysupporting said bolster on the truck, said block being completelyconfined by said casing and havin an opening therethrough to permit flowo the rubber mass when comressed; and adjustable connecting means or thesections of -said casing, extending through said abutment members of therespective sections and limiting relative separation thereof, to holdsaid rubber mass at 3 'all times partly contracted and under apredetermined compression, said connectin means permitting relativeapproach of sai sections.

In witness that I claim the fore oing I have hereunto subscribed my nametis 21st day of October, 1926.

GOODRICH Q.. LEWIS.

